Coin box



R. BAKER, SR

Aug. 2, 1949.

COIN BOX Filed Feb. 4, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A TI'ORIVE).

R s R E K A B R COIN BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1947 Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN BOX Application February 4, 1947, Serial No. 726,351

7 Claims. (01. 232-58) The object of this invention is to devise a novel coin box, and more particularly to devise novel controlling mechanism for a coin stop and a shutter, whereby the coins inserted will first be retained in a compartment visible from the front and the rear of the coin box, then pas into a second compartment where they are visible from the front of the coin box, and then discharge into a chute leading to a coin receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to devise a novel construction and arrangement of cam mechanism for occasioning the cyclical opera tion of a coin stop and a shutter controlling the passage of coins through the coin box.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as will hereinafter clearly appear, my invention comprehends a novel coin box.

It further comprehends novel means for positioning a coin stop and a shutter in their closed and open position.

It further comprehends a novel construction and arrangement of cam mechanism cooperating with the coin stop and shutter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of it which I have found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results. It is, however. to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and the invention is not limited to the exact arrangement and organization of these instrumen talities as herein shown.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a coin box, embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a front elevation, partly in section with side plates of the frame removed.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section similar to Figure 5 but howing certain of the parts in a different relation from that seen in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation showing more particularly the cam mechanism.

. Figure 8 is a sectional elevation similar to Figure 7 but showing certain of the parts in different relation from that seen in Figure 7.

, Figure 9 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale of the shutter controlling cam and certain of its adjuncts.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings:

The coin box has a sectional frame I to provide for the assembly of the working part and this frame is secured to a desired support in any desired or conventional manner. The frame has a coin slot 2 at its upper end into which coins totalling the purchase made are inserted, and these coins pass into an upper compartment 3, the front and rear walls of which are transparent to provide a front and a rear sight opening. The compartment 3 has a slot 4 at its bottom and this slot is normally closed for the passage of coins by a coin stop 5 in the form of a plate fixed to a shaft 6 journalled at l in the machine frame. This shaft 6 is preferably rectangular in cross section except at its ends, and the plate is welded or soldered to the upper face of the shaft. The top face of the coin stop may be slightly bevelled as at 8.

The coins from the upper compartment 3 pass, during the cycle of the operation, through the coin slot 4 into a lower compartment 9, the front wall of which has a transparent portion Hi, and the rear wall of which i formed by a shutter I l which is curved in cross section and is in front of the rear outwardly curved portion of the frame. This shutter II is fixed intermediately of its top and bottom to a shaft [2, journalled at H3 in the machine frame, the journals [3 being in a vertical plane in advance of the vertical plane of the journals 1 of the shaft 6.

The shaft [2 has a stop arm [4 fixed to it and bearing against a spring pressed plunger [5 mounted in the frame whereby the shaft l2 and shutter II are returned to their normally closed. positions when moved therefrom and released. The closing movement of the shutter is limited by a wall I6 in the path of the arm I4.

The shutter normally closes the lower end of the lower compartment 9 and when the shutter move to its open position the coins in the com partment 9 pass into a coin chute l1 and therefrom to a conventional coin receptacle (not shown).

The cam mechanism The shaft 6 of the coin stop 5 has a rectangularly shaped cam l8 fixed to it near one end, and this cam cooperates with a slotted cam plate l9 guided at 20 in the frame. The cam plate l9 has a stud 2| extending into a slot 22 in an actuating lever 23 which extends through a slot 24 in the rear wall of the frame and which is pivoted at 25.

The slot of the cam plate has parallel walls 25 guiding the cam l8 in a straight line movement of the cam plate to retain the coin stop 5 in its closed position. One of the walls 26 merges into an outwardly inclined wall 21, while the other of the walls 26 merges into an outwardly curved Wall 28 leading to a straight wall 29, the walls 2'! and 29 being connected by an inclined wall 36. The result of this wall construction of the cam slot and the shape of the cam I8 is to cause the coin stop to move to its open position to permit coins to pass from the upper compartment 3 into the compartment 9.

The shutter shaft [2 has a disc 3! fixed to it, and this disc has a slot 32 opening through its outer periphery to receive a lug 33 on a cam ring 34 loosely mounted on the disc 3]. 'The'cam ring has at one side a shoulder 35 to contact with a shoulder 36 on the side wall of the slot of the cam plate, whereby when the camplate moves downwardly the cam ring will turn'the disc 3| and thereby the shaft 12 and its shutter H to permit coins to pass fromthe compartment 9 into the coin chute I! leading to the coin receptacle. The cam ring 34 at the side opposite to that of the shoulder 35 has a shoulder 3! engaged by a shoulder 38 on the side wall ofrthe cam slot to turn the cam ring so that its shoulder 35 is in the path of the shoulder 35 of the cam plate. The cam plate is tensioned by a spring 39 tending to move it upwardly.

The i de".

The operation of the coin box will now be apparent to those skilled in this art and is as follows:

Assuming that the parts are in the position seen in Figure 2, the coin stop 5 is in its closed position and the shutter 'l 1, due to the action of its spring pressedplunger, is in its, closed position.

The intending purchaser inserts, into the coin slot 2 coins amounting to his purchase, and these coins pass into the compartment 3 where they are visible to the intending purchaser and also to the attendant in rear oi the coin box.

As shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the coins rest on the coin stop 5, see als Figure 4 where the coin stopis in its closed position.

The attendant after seeing that. the proper amount has been inserted and is in the upper compartment 3 presses the lever 23 downwardly, thereby, moving the cam plate I9 downwardly. The, shoulder 36 of the cam plate engages the shoulder 35 of the cam'ring 34' turning the cam ring and thelug 3,3, of the gain ring engages, a wall of the slot 32 causing the disc 3| to turn and thereby the shaft l fand shutter ll into the position seen in Figure 6, and the. coins in the compartment 9. pass into the coin'chute I! and to ther'eceptacle in which they are collected. As the shoulder 35. passes the shoulder 36, the spring pressed plunger l5 causes the shaft l2 and shutter H to return to the position seenin Figures 2 and 5.

During the turning of the, cam ring as above described to effect the opening movement of the shutter ll, the rectangular cam I8 on the coin stop shaft 5 is engaging the walls 26 and therefore is not turning, and the coin slot 4 is closed to retain in the compartment 3 the coins which have been inserted in the coin slot 2, see position of coin stop 5 in Figure 6, The further downd ve n of. the can; plat caus s-the am. I8 of the coin stop 5 to turn into the positionseen in Figures '7- and 5, Wherethecoin Stop 51s in its p n s t d, wi s can. pa s; 30. the com p r m t-3 mg; he: m ai m nt.- 9 h e e 4 coins are retained since the shutter H is closed, see Figure 5.

On upward movement of the lever 23, aided by the spring 39, the cam plate l9 moves upwardly, and its shoulder 38 contacting the shoulder 31 of the cam ring 33 turns the cam ring to bring its shoulder 35 in the path of the shoulder 36 ready for the next cycle of the operation.

The downward movement of the cam plate causes the earn !8 on the coin stop shaft 6 to return to its straight line position between the parallel walls 26 of the cam plate and the coin stop moves into its closed position.

The coins of a previous purchase are retained in the compartment 9 so that no question can be raised that the proper amount had not been deposited.

The parts are now in position for repeating the cycle of operation as herein described.

The cam mechanism has been illustrated in conjunction with a coin box, but it is not'limited to such use, and can be employed in all cases where two members are to be moved in timed relation from their initial positions and thereafter restored to their initial positions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I s

1. In a coin box, a frame having an upper compartment having a coin slot, a front and a rear sight opening, and a discharge opening, a coin stop beneath said discharge opening and on the top edge of which a coin passing through the coin slot comes to rest in a vertical position to be visible through said openings, said frame having a lower compartment in communication with said discharge opening and provided with a shutter controlling exit of coins from said lower compartment and tensioned to be normally closed, and cam mechanism eifective to open said shutter, then release it to permit of its closing, and effective to .open said coin stop after the closing of said shutter.

2. In a coin box, a frame having upper and 4 lower intercommunicating compartments, one

having a coin slot, a shutter in the other compartment controlling exit of coins therefrom, a coin stop controlling the communication between said compartments, and cam mechanism con-. trolling said shutter and coin stop and comprising a disc carried by said shutter, a cam ringhaving limited relative rotation on said disc, a cam carried by said coin stop, and a cam plate. slidable in said frame and actuating said cam ring and coin stop cam to cause the opening of the shutter prior to the opening of said coin stop, said cam ring and cam plate having cooperating means to efiect relative movement of the cam ring on said disc'on movement of the cam plate in one direction and having cooperating means to return said cam ring *to its; initial position on said disc on the movement of the cam plate in a reverse direction and means to return said shutter to initial position when released by the cam plate.

3. The construction specified in claim 2; wherein the cam platehas a slot with walls cooperating with the cam ring and the coin stop cam.

4. The construction specified in claim 2, where-a in a spring tends to move the cam plate in a lower intercommunicating "compartments, ne

having a coin slot, a shutter in the other compartment controlling the exit of coins therefrom, a coin stop controlling communication between said compartments, and cam mechanism actuating said shutter and coin stop and comprising a disc carried by said shutter, a cam ring having limited relative movement on said disc and having a shoulder, a rectangularly shaped cam carried by said coin stop and a slotted cam plate slidably mounted in the frame having a shoulder in the side wall of its slot to contact the cam ring shoulder and turn the cam ring to open the shutter, said slot of the cam plate having parallel walls to prevent turning of the coin stop cam during the opening of the shutter and cam walls to turn the coin stop cam to open the coin stop after the closing of the shutter, and means to cause the closing of the shutter when the cam plate shoulder releases the cam ring shoulder, and said cam ring and cam plate having cooperating means to return the cam ring to its initial position with its shoulder in the path of the cooperating shoulder of the cam plate.

6. The construction specified in claim 5, wherein a lever carried by the frame has a pin and slot connection with said cam plate, and a spring tends to retain said cam plate and lever in their initial position.

7. The combination with two members to be moved in timed relation from their initial positions and thereafter restored to their initial positions, of a disc on the first member, a cam ring turnable on said disc, a cam on said second member, a cam plate having an opening to receive said cam ring and cam and having a wall cooperating with said cam ring to turn it and thereby said first member from its initial position, means to return said first member to its initial position when the cam ring is released by said cam, said cam plate having Walls engaging said cam to turn said second member from its initial position on movement of said cam plate in one direction and to return said second member to its initial position on movement of the cam plate in a reverse direction, and means to actuate said cam plate.

RAYMOND BAKER, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,174,832 Dodge Mar. '7, 1916 1,407,541 Horn Feb. 21, 1922 

